Next year, Fourmaux will compete as Hyundai’s third driver in the World Rally Championship. The Frenchman made his breakthrough in the top category this year, securing five podium finishes.
Fourmaux took the wheel of Hyundai’s Rally1 car in the Rallye National Hivernal du Devoluy, where he was immediately up against a strong benchmark – Toyota’s Kalle Rovanperä. While the event served primarily as preparation for the season-opening Rallye Monte-Carlo, the result was a boost for Fourmaux.
He managed to beat two-time world champion Rovanperä by 15.5 seconds.
“After this win, I will spend a better Christmas that’s for sure,” Fourmaux quipped, according to DirtFish.
“It gives me the confidence that I can drive the car, I understand more the car and I know a bit more the settings that I need for this car for my driving,” he added.
The Rallye National Hivernal du Devoluy was run in true winter conditions, with snow, ice, and slush on the stages.
Fourmaux made the most of the test event. Initially, he struggled to find the right feeling with the car, but with setup changes, he gained trust in Hyundai’s Rally1 machine.
“I think I tried nearly everything. That was really, really good for the knowledge of the car and to understand everything. At the end I was comfortable with the car, which I wasn’t at the beginning,” Fourmaux explained.
What particularly pleased Fourmaux was that he managed to beat Rovanperä in a demanding rally with ten special stages over two days.
“I didn’t expect to beat Kalle because he knows the car. It was really nice to have him there to compare our times and then it’s really positive to win against him. We can only be glad for this result,” Fourmaux said enthusiastically.
